The Threads that Bind Us
by Wicked Cheshire
Summary: i can't really write a good summary without giving away the whole plot completey. sooo... it shall be a mystery! but that doesn't mean you shouldn't read it. please R&R. i would very much appreciate it.
1. Prologue

The Threads that Bind Us

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the characters associated with Inuyasha. The amazing, ingenious Rumiko Takahashi-sama does.

The smell of demon and human blood hung heavily in the air. Bodies littered the desecrated village, including the unconscious, heavily wounded bodies of Miroku and Sango. Inuyasha and Kagome, in the middle of all the madness, lay huddled together. Inuyasha lay on the ground, his head on Kagome's lap. "Kagome… I can't breathe." He wheezed, sputtering up a bit of blood. She placed a hand on his mouth, hushing him. "Then don't talk."

Kagome's tears fell onto Inuyasha's face, and her hair acted as a curtain of salvation around his head. "But Kagome… I want to say so… much." Kagome ripped part of her sock and wiped the blood and tears off of his face. "Inuyasha, I love you…" she stroked his face and smoothed down his silver hair, which was currently matted with blood and dirt. He smiled weakly, mustering all the strength he could. "I love you too. Forever…"

His breathing became forced, sharper. It felt like a lifetime of sitting there, just savoring their last moments together. Kagome leaned down for a chaste goodbye kiss. Their lips parted, and she sat back up. Tears strolling down his face, Inuyasha exhaled, and then lay still. Kagome sobbed, caressing his pale face. She couldn't take the expression on his face, both peaceful and painful. His liquid-gold eyes lay unmoving and glassy, staring up into nothing. "Inuyasha… don't leave me…" Kagome begged, although she knew that he wouldn't be coming back.

She gently placed his head on the cold bloody ground and stood up on her own two shaky legs. She swooned, staring in surprise at the body in front of her. Silver hair turned black. Gold became brown, and claws and fangs receded into regular teeth and nails. Human ears replaced dog ears. "What… what now?" She bent down, further examining the transformation. She then decides it best if she took Tetsuseiga. Leaving her medical supplies and jewel shards with the unconscious forms of Miroku and Sango, she staggered along for what seems like an eternity to the Bone-Eater's Well. she let herself collapse into it, clutching Tetsuseiga to her chest like it was a dear jewel. Coming into her own time, she collapsed to the ground and crawled over to one of the corners of the old well, pulling her knees to her chest and crying her eyes out.


	2. Dreams of Awakening

_A young woman stood over a man's body, obviously tormented greatly by the many wounds inflicted on them both. He could hear the pain in her sobs… feel the anguish the man went through as he silently said goodbye to the woman with a kiss. _

_That man… it's…_

_Me. I died there. The pain I felt… excruciating pain… both physical and emotional… I said good bye to her. I knew I wouldn't see her again. But… who is she? Who is the woman who haunts the dreams of Eternal Sleep? _

_I want to know._

_I want to…_

A hand pushed through the dark earth, the moist dirt easily making way. And then another hand pushed through. They hoisted their owner up out of the earthy tomb. A pair of dark brown eyes forced their way open and a mouth moved for the first time in what seemed to be ages. Black hair flowed again. "Who… is that woman?" the body stood up on its own two bare feet, and swayed slightly. The human-turned hanyou stumbled blindly along, following sheer instinct until reaching an old village.

Villagers stared in awe, surprise, and fear as he staggered through, stopping in front of a familiar hut. "K…Kaede... Priestess Kaede..." A frail old man cautiously approached the stranger. "Lady Kaede hasn't been around lately. She… has decided to take a trip. A monk and his wife watch our village in her absence." The visitor swiveled around, loosing his balance and falling down. The sight would've probably been amusing to an onlooker, yet no one laughed as the confused Inuyasha stared questioningly at the man who had approached him. "Who is this monk? Where can I find him? Please tell me!" Inuyasha threw himself at the Elder, who had stepped back a bit.

Before the man could answer, though, a slight jingling could be heard and everyone turned to look at the monk who stood before them. His violet eyes widened and his face showed sheer terror and confusion. "No… this cannot be! You're…. you're supposed to be dead! I should know… I read the funeral rites… said the prayers… grieved with others!"

Inuyasha stared up at the purple-robed monk, genuinely confused. "Monk, do I know you?" Inuyasha slowly rose to his feet again, his shoulders slumping and his legs shaking with the unfamiliar weight that had been placed upon them again. The monk quickly rushed to the struggling man before him, barely catching him as he almost collapsed again. The villagers, who had all crowded around the two, watched as Miroku brought Inuyasha into the hut he was staying in.

Inuyasha then noticed his form. "I'm… human? Why?" he stared at his hands, which were currently devoid of claws. The monk just nodded. "Yes. When we had discovered your body, you were human. We ended up with the theory that once you had died, the demon part of you disintegrated. Therefore, only your human blood remains." Inuyasha tested his senses. "But… I still have my acute sense of smell, and I hear pretty well too. Maybe… not all of my demon blood vanished." Miroku's fingers drummed against the wooden floor as he pondered the predicament. "Maybe. Either way, it's a very interesting situation." Inuyasha nodded in agreement.

"On another note, you really don't remember me, Inuyasha?" Miroku stared at the man before him with slightly narrowed eyes. Inuyasha shook his head. "No. but your scent is vaguely familiar. And on top of that, you definitely seem to know me." The monk scratched his head, completely stunned at the circumstances he was currently in. "How have you returned to the world of the living?" Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know. But in my mind, I saw a death."

Deep violet eyes met wandering brown eyes as the visitor surveyed the humble abode the monk had taken as a home. "A dream of a death? Do you know whose it was?" Inuyasha nodded. "yes. It was me. I saw my death. And a dark-haired woman was sitting over me." Miroku tilted his head, mumbling something under his breath. "dark-haired woman? That must be… Kagome." Inuyasha's head turned. "Ka…gome? Such a familiar name… Kagome. Did this… Kagome… and I have a relationship?"

Miroku furrowed his brow, trying to see where this conversation was headed. "sometimes it was believed to be that way… why?" Inuyasha fidgeted, staring down at his hands which were currently resting in his lap. "In the dream before my death, she cried for me… held me close. We kissed each other goodbye. She haunts my Eternal Sleep. I want to know why."

Miroku stared in awe at the man before him as he was told of the dream. "you kissed?" a smirk tugged at the corners of Miroku's mouth as he struggled to remain serious. "yeah. What of it?" Inuyasha frowned at Miroku, who couldn't help but smile. "There's the Inuyasha I know." Then he noticed it. "Inuyasha… where's your Tetsuseiga?" a hand flew to a hip, but the hilt of the mighty sword wasn't found. "I… I had it in my dream… do you think it was stolen after I died?" he jumped up and then staggered, strength still not what it used to be.

Inuyasha weakly let his body fall back down, thinking it best if he let his body adjust to the weight of being alive again before standing up. Miroku got up, walking over to a large bundle in one of the corners of the hut, pulling out a ripe fruit. "Here… this should give you back some of your strength." He threw the fruit to Inuyasha, who grabbed at it with quick precision. He devoured it, noticing for the first time his immense hunger.

Inuyasha smirked. "Enough about me for the time-being. The villagers had said you had a wife. But now that I remember, you used to be one hell of a womanizer. It's hard to believe you quit your antics and settled down." The monk smiled heartily. "I know, I was quite surprised myself, at first. But now that Naraku is dead, the curse he has put on me has also ceased to exist. I no longer have the need to go around to every pretty woman I meet, asking if they will bear my child. So, I decided the next thing I should do is find a wife and raise a family."

Inuyasha's brow furrowed deeply. "Naraku died? When!" Miroku frowned slightly. "The same battle that your life was taken in, so was Naraku's. Don't you remember? You pulled one hell of a backlash wave just as Kagome let her sacred arrow fly. You both hit at the same time, completely obliterating Naraku. You, as always, were a big part of the fight." Miroku smiled, remembering the fight, while Inuyasha just frowned. "So I definitely had Tetsuseiga then. Now I have two things to find…"

Miroku glanced outside the window, noticing the time. He got up and put water in the big pot resting in the middle of the hut. He then rekindled the wood under the pot. "Are you really going to find Kagome? You probably don't remember, but she resides in a completely different time." Inuyasha still frowned. "Different time? What do you mean?" Miroku sighed. "She lives in the future. She passed through to this era using the Bone Eater's Well. She is the reincarnation of Kikyou, remember? She had the Shikon Jewel in her body. She was the one who shattered it." Inuyasha's brow furrowed. "It all seems so familiar… why can't I remember?"

Inuyasha scratched his head. "Wait… and what about the Shikon Jewel?" Miroku nodded. "I had a feeling you'd ask about that. After Naraku died, we took the Shikon jewel back. When Sango and I regained consciousness, we found your body, the bottle holding two Shikon shards, and a full first-aid kit. We assumed that Kagome was alright, and that she had left. After binding our wounds we placed the two shards into the Shikon Jewel. We then hunted down Kouga and Kohaku." Inuyasha frowned. "So what'd that scrawny little wolf do?"

Miroku shrugged. "Much to our surprise Kouga just handed them over, and then continued on with us. He was distraught to hear of your death. He had told us that you were always rivals, but he never had wished for you to die so soon like that. You'd be surprised at how many people came to give their respects. Sesshoumaru came, and Kikyou, even Kagura, even if it was just for a bit. She had told us that you were one of the few stronger demons out there, and was sad that you had perished. She also said that she was thanking you for ridding her of Naraku. She didn't admit it, but we were sure she was at least bit sad to hear that you had passed on." Miroku smiled at the remembrance and Inuyasha just gaped. "Sesshoumaru and Kagura came? Really?" Miroku nodded. "Really."

Inuyasha straightened up, becoming serious again. "And what of Kohaku?" Miroku saddened. "He also gave his shard up. He knew his soul had already passed on. Sango was indeed sad, but I think she was thankful that Kohaku had removed the shard himself. It would've been much harder on her if she had to have removed it from her own brother. The good thing is that Kohaku finally remembered everything in the end. We buried you and Kohaku in the same grave site."

Inuyasha nodded. "So after that, then what?" Miroku shrugged again. "Then we pieced it all together and purified it, Lady Kaede, Kikyou and I. Completely purifying it made it disappear. The Shikon Jewel no longer exists." Inuyasha's jaw dropped as he stared in amazement at Miroku. "You mean… that's it? No more Shikon Jewel? Well... I guess that's a good thing… after all, it won't be such a hazardous thing anymore if it no longer exists, right?" Miroku nodded in agreement.

Inuyasha straightened up and his head turned again as he heard the mat covering the door of the hut move to the side. "We have company?" Inuyasha turned around just in time to see the very frightened face of Sango. Miroku smiled nervously. "Ah! You're home. Err… yes, we have company." Sango quickly went to the side of Miroku. "Umm… what's he doing here? Alive?" Miroku smiled widely. "It seems his love for Kagome has brought him back to life. Isn't that sweet?"

Sango smiled and nodded. Inuyasha blushed a bit and frowned, folding his arms tightly across his chest. "Keh! Who said I loved her? I just can't seem to get her out of my head, and it's disrupting my Eternal Sleep!" Sango laughed slightly. "That's what you call love, if I'm not mistaken." Sango then put down her two loads. She placed one gingerly into Miroku's hands, and the other she emptied into the now-boiling pot in the middle of the room. "We're having vegetable stew tonight. The garden at the edge of the village was just brimming with ripe harvest, and I couldn't resist."

Inuyasha's attention was averted to the bundle in Miroku's arms. "Ah, so you've noticed. I forgot to tell you, Sango and I have a son now. Do you wish to see him?" Miroku beamed at the giggling bundle in his arms. Inuyasha shook his head. "As much as I'd like to see, I'm not coming near him until you change his diaper." Sango blinked. "I suppose I should go change him. Although, I'm surprised you still have your dog-like senses. Well, we'll be right back!" she slowly took her son from Miroku and went outside.

"So… you decided to settle down, with Sango no less, and you've had a son with her. You know, you've really surprised me, Miroku. Now tell me. What did you name him?" Miroku looked fondly out the window, and then turned back to Inuyasha. "We named him Kohaku. I couldn't stand to see Sango so sad. She never really has gotten over the death of her brother. I suggested it right after he was born." Inuyasha smiled warmly for what seemed like the first time in his whole existence. "You're really something, Miroku. You know that?"


	3. Waiting in Patience

Inuyasha sighed in contentment as he let the vegetable stew digest. "That was delicious! I never new you could cook, Sango." The demon exterminator smiled at Inuyasha's compliment. "Well, since Kagome had always brought us boxed lunches from her house, I never really had the need to make something." Inuyasha stared into the fire. "Kagome brought us food, too? What else did she do?" Sango frowned. "Don't you remember Kagome?" Inuyasha shook his head slowly. "Not really. Her name sounds so familiar, though." Sango rocked her son in her arms and shrugged. "Well, hopefully she'll come to the festival tomorrow." Inuyasha turned his gaze from the fire to Sango. "There's a festival tomorrow? What's the occasion?"

Miroku and Sango smiled. "Well, tomorrow it will be one year since you've died. We'll be celebrating all the great things you've done for us in your life. It's declared a holiday in this village." Inuyasha gaped. "Really? You're doing that for me?" the couple nodded. "So I bet Kagome will come. I'm sure your death hit her hardest. She'll at least come to pay her respects, I'm positive." Inuyasha nodded. "And if she doesn't come here, I'll go to her time. Because of this, I have a feeling I won't be returning to my grave any time soon."

"Kagome! Wait up!" Kagome swiveled around, just as she was about to mount her bike. "Oh, Hojo! Hello there!" she smiled, although her eyes told a different story. "Are you ok, Kagome? You seem a little down in the dumps. Maybe you should take the day off on Monday. You've obviously been feeling great for a whole year now, but this could be the sign of a really bad relapse." Kagome laughed a bit. "I'm fine, really. But thank you for being so concerned." Hojo nodded, changing the subject.

"So… you busy tomorrow?" Kagome shrugged. "It depends. I was thinking of doing something that I really should do, but…" she fidgeted with the handle of her bike, frowning down at the ground. Hojo nodded. "Well, if it's as important as you're making it seem, then you really should do what you're thinking of doing." Kagome thought about it. Could she really take going back to the feudal era, after so long? Face her friends and foes again? And most of all… visit the grave of Inuyasha, and relive that horrible day? "No… it's ok. So what did you want to do?" Hojo's face lit up. "Well, I was thinking of taking you to the carnival. You sure you can come?" he held a ticket in front of her face. "I'm positive." She grabbed the ticket and smiled.

"Well? Do you see her yet?" Inuyasha peeked out of the hut. "No. now, stay in there! If people see that you are alive, I'm sure the festival will be far from successful. Just lay low for now and wait!" Miroku frowned at Inuyasha, pushing the upset man back inside. "If there are any demons here at the festival, they'd find me out anyways. I don't understand why I can't just walk about. Most of the villagers here already know about my return." Miroku shrugged. "Well, if you really think it best, then… I guess you could come out and see how the festival goes."

Miroku turned around, but was met face-to-face with a certain youkai lord. Inuyasha made his way to the door of the hut. Golden eyes narrowed and a smirk found its way across a defined face. "Dear little brother… what an interesting surprise. And here I was, thinking you were finally dead. And look, you even managed to turn human." Inuyasha sneered. "Keh! I'm sorry to disappoint you, Sesshoumaru. I was dead, but I'm back. And I'm not all human… I just look it." Sesshoumaru just nodded in response. "It surprises me, how many mortals feel for you. I would've never guessed you'd have a festival in your honor. What a shame it didn't happen until after your death, though."

Inuyasha just frowned, folding his arms across his chest. "I didn't come back to life to deal with this. Just tell me… what did you do with my Tetsuseiga!" Sesshoumaru's emotionless face cracked, showing just hint of surprise. "You lost it? To hell who knows why Father even entrusted you with it if you're just going to loose it." Inuyasha frowned. "Ahh… don't give me that. Who needs you, anyways?" With that, he walked off. He needed to find that Kagome girl for now. He didn't even know for a fact if she was even here.

Nearing his grave, he found another youkai, sulking. A competitive smile danced across Inuyasha's face as he approached his rival. "Oy! Wolf-Face! Whatcha doin', poutin' over there like a little baby?" Kouga looked over his shoulder, a truly angry expression etched into his visage. "Who're you callin'…" The wolf youkai swiveled fully around, and then almost fell back. "MUTT! What the hell are you doin' alive! And… why are you… so… human?" Kouga staggered forward. Without any further thinking, he flung his arms around the man in front of him. "Kouga, you idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing!" Inuyasha lashed out at him, but the wolf youkai easily dodged it. "I don't know why you're among the living again, but you're back! Now I can pick on you all I want again!" he then leaned in. "oh… and… that embrace? Never happened." Inuyasha decked Kouga out. "Baka youkai… you've lost your mind."

Kouga frowned, rising to his feet again and dusting himself off. He put his hands on his hips dominantly. "No matter what, though, Kagome's still my girl." Inuyasha smirked. "Your girl? I doubt it." Kouga shrugged. "Just because she hasn't been around in a year doesn't mean she's not my girl." Inuyasha shrugged in return. "I don't remember this kagome, but I doubt she's a girl to go around kissing others when she already has a mate." Kouga growled. "Whaddaya mean, kiss!" Inuyasha folded his arms across his chest and held his head high. "Before I died she kissed me. So I really don't think she's your girl."

Kouga fumed. "SHE KISSED YOU! WHAT DOES SHE SEE IN A PUNY LITTLE MORTAL PUP LIKE YOU! Honestly! She doesn't know what she's missing!" Inuyasha pushed Kouga away. "Well, as I said, I don't even remember her. And you said you haven't seen her in… what, a year?" Kouga gaped at Inuyasha. "You don't remember Kagome? At all? Ya friggin' idiot! There's no way she'd fall for a bumbling dolt like you!" Inuyasha growled. "Who are you callin' an idiot, ya mangy little wolf?" he swiped at Kouga continuously with his fists.

A slight jingling stopped Inuyasha's movements, and he ducked as Miroku's staff zeroed in on the fighting men. The monk followed through with the arch, though, and hit Kouga square in the forehead. "Knock it off, you too! Jeez, can't take my eye off of you for a second." Kouga just stood there, rubbing his forehead. "Damn, that hurt! Who do you think you are, monk!" Inuyasha snickered. "He's the monk that's gonna beat you up, if you don't stop being so damn immature!"

Before he could say anything else, though, Inuyasha was hit as well. Kouga fell to the ground, laughing too hard to hold himself up. "I think he's havin' second thoughts about standing up for you, mutt!" Inuyasha growled, fuming. "HEY! Who's side are you on, Miroku!" the monk just shook his head. "You're both immature. Now for the last time, knock it off!" the other men just stood there, sulking.

"Now come on, Inuyasha. Start looking for Kagome." Kouga just shook his head. "She ain't here." Inuyasha frowned at Kouga. "Whaddaya mean, she ain't here?" Kouga shrugged. "I don't smell her anywhere, and I've already searched this place from top to bottom. I'm tellin' ya, she ain't here!" Inuyasha frowned, crossing his arms yet again. "Keh… says you… maybe she just hasn't arrived yet." Kouga shrugged. "Yeah, well, don't pout when I say 'I told ya so.'" Inuyasha turned to leave, and then looked over his shoulder at Kouga. "I won't, 'cause it ain't gonna happen."


	4. Breaking in and Entering

Inuyasha looked down into the gaping hole in the ground. "So… this is Bone-Eater's Well?" Miroku nodded. "Yes, this is it." Inuyasha threw a pebble down into the dried-up well. It hit the ground with a thud. "So, if Kagome comes, she'll come out of here?" Miroku nodded. "Your best bet would be to stay around here incase she decides come to the festival." Inuyasha plopped down, leaning against the ominous well. "So I gotta just sit here and wait? Talk about boring!" Miroku sighed, nodding. "Yes, I agree. It does sound pretty boring. Want me to wait with you?" Inuyasha looked up at the monk in front of him and shrugged. "If you want to, go right ahead." Miroku nodded again, kneeling right next to Inuyasha. His staff rested right next to him.

After a long pause of silence, Inuyasha turned to the meditating monk next to him. "Hey, Miroku?" the monk opened an eye and it looked in Inuyasha's general direction. "hmmm?" Inuyasha tucked his hands into his raiment sleeves. "You think she's gonna come?" before, Miroku would've been sure of it. But now that the sun had just started its decent towards the horizon and the sky slowly turned a pinkish orange glow, he was starting to think otherwise. "umm…" Inuyasha shook his head. "you don't need to answer… I already know what you're gonna say." He stood up and made his way back to the village. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha." Inuyasha just waved his hand as he continued to walk. "What are _you_ apologizing for? It's not that big a deal." Miroku frowned. _Humph… he says that, but does he really mean it?_

"Wow, Hojo! That's the fifth one in a row! You're getting too good at this." The man presented a stuffed puppy to Hojo, who gladly handed it off to Kagome. "Here. You have this one." Kagome smiled half-heartedly. "Thanks… how did you know I loved puppies?" Hojo smiled back and shrugged. "I don't know. Today's my lucky day! I'm out with you, I just keep winning at these midway games, and the prize I chose to give you just happened to be a puppy, which you like! I'm on a roll!"

Kagome forced a laugh. She then checked her watch. "Oh! It's getting late, and my mom will be expecting me home soon." Hojo's shoulders slumped a bit. "Oh… really? Well, then we should probably heading back to your house. I don't want your mom upset at you because I kept you out too late." Kagome nodded.

"Here it is! Higurashi Shrine. That's so cool, that your family owns a Shinto Shrine…" Kagome smiled. "Really?" Hojo nodded. "Umm… you wanna come up and take a look around?" Kagome pointed up the long stairs that led to the shrine, and Hojo nodded. "If it's ok with you, I'd love to look around. I don't know why, but shrines have always had a tendency to fascinate me." Kagome grabbed Hojo's arm and led him up the concrete steps. Hojo's eyes surveyed the area, and then rested on a colossal tree that was a bit off to the side. "Wow… what an amazing tree…" he slowly made his way toward it. He turned around, his expression filled with curiosity. "What makes this tree so special, besides its size?" Kagome smiled sadly. "Do you know the tale of the Shikon Jewel?" Hojo nodded. "A little bit… wasn't it that legendary jewel that could virtually grant anyone's wish?" Kagome nodded, a bit surprised that Hojo knew about it. "Yeah. This tree was a part of a tragic tale involving the Shikon Jewel." Hojo tilted his head. "Wow, really? Would you mind telling me about it?" Kagome nodded her head after some hesitation.

"A hanyou by the name of Inuyasha was one of the many demons after the Shikon Jewel. His wish was to become a full-fledged demon. In the process of chasing after the jewel, he ended up falling in love with the priestess protecting the jewel, Kikyou. After a while, she had persuaded him into using the Shikon Jewel to become a full human. That would purify the jewel, and she would be a free woman in return. On the day he was to use the Shikon jewel, though, an evil hanyou by the name of Naraku had transformed into Inuyasha and ran at Kikyou, cutting her deeply in the shoulder with his claws. He then took the Shikon Jewel from her hand, and ran off. Naraku then transformed into Kikyou and began shooting arrows at Inuyasha. He then began to ransack the village to get back at Kikyou, who he thought had betrayed him. Getting possession of the Shikon Jewel, he began running. With the last ounce of strength she had left, Kikyou shot a sacred arrow at Inuyasha who was then pinned to this tree. She died on that same day, and was cremated with the sacred jewel in her hands, taking it to the next world with her. Inuyasha died there after lying dormant for 52 years."

Hojo just gaped. "How… how do you know so much about this? That's amazing!" Kagome smiled weakly. _I didn't tell him the whole story, but I'm sure he would think I was sick in the head if I told him that I had been going back into the feudal era and was the reincarnation of Kikyou…_ Kagome pointed out a small groove in the surface of the tree. "See that little crevice there? That's where the point of the arrow hit." Hojo squinted, and then his eyes grew wide. "Can… can I go touch it?" Kagome shrugged. "Umm… sure, if you'd like." Hojo stepped up to the massive tree, running his fingers over the crevice. Turning back around to Kagome, he stumbled over something. "Oh, what's this?" he bent down and picked up Tetsuseiga, which Kagome had propped up against the tree. "Ah! Don't… don't touch that. That's really special to me." Hojo blinked. "Really? I'm sorry, I tripped over it. I'm curious though… it just looks like an old katana. Why is it so special to you?" Kagome thought for a minute, feeling her cheeks growing hot. "Umm… it's a genuine artifact. That's the sword Inuyasha wielded, called Tetsuseiga. It was forged from his father's fang."

Hojo nodded, then placed it down and ran over to Kagome. "Are you feeling ok, Kagome? You look a little red in the face. Do you have a fever of some kind?" he put his hand to her forehead. "No! Err… no. I'm fine. I really must be getting inside. My mom's probably worried sick by now!" she stumbled, trying to make her way back without crying. "Oh… ok. Well, get into bed, anyways… you still look pretty sick to me with your face all red and you stumbling about like that."

Inuyasha sat in one of the lower branches of a tree. "Inuyasha, come down from there." Sango looked up at him from below. "She… didn't come. At all." Sango nodded. "I know… I'm sorry about that. I was so sure she'd come to pay respects to you, or at least see how we were doing. We were best friends. It hurts me as much as it hurt you." Inuyasha shook his head, his black hair blowing softly in the cool night breeze. "No… not as much as it hurt me. And I can't even remember her clearly." Sango nodded. "I can't really remember her much either."

Inuyasha jumped down, his shoulders slouching. "Oh, come on now. Being openly sad is not something the great Inuyasha would do! Now straighten up." Inuyasha just weakly swatted a hand at Sango. "Well, if that's the way you want to be… but weren't you the one who said that if she didn't come to you, you would go to her?" Inuyasha lifted his head. "Wait… I did say that, didn't I?" Sango nodded, and Inuyasha put his hands on his hips. "Then, that's just what I'm gonna have to do!" Sango clapped. "Yeah, so rest up! You got a big day ahead of you tomorrow!"

It was early, early morning when Inuyasha stood next to the Bone-Eater's Well with Miroku, Sango, and Kohaku. "Now remember, Kagome thinks you're still dead. Your sudden appearance might scare her." Inuyasha rolled his eyes up at the still-dark sky. "I know, I know." Inuyasha jumped up onto the rim of the Bone-Eater's Well. "I hope all goes well!" Inuyasha smirked. "I know it'll go well. And after I catch up with her, maybe I can persuade her to come back!" Sango nodded. "Of course!" Inuyasha then closed his eyes and let himself fall back into the well.

He felt a warm sensation pass over him, and he opened his eyes to find himself sprawled out on the ground. He climbed his way up and out of the old well and looked around. A flood of memories came to him of when he had come to this era, either to resolve a fight or to get Kagome when she had been late in returning to the Feudal era. But he still couldn't remember what she looked like, or smelled like, or even how her voice sounded. Knowing she existed wasn't enough. He had jumped up onto her windowsill and looked inside, yet she wasn't in her bed. He hopped around from window to window, but the house was deserted.

He wandered the dark streets of present Japan until he came across a clothing store. He looked through the store window at the mannequins dolled up in the latest styles, and then at his own red raiment. "I can't be seen walking around in this!" he pressed his hands and forehead up against the window, trying to figure out which one would be best for him. "I wish I had my claws… I could easily make my way through this…" he banged on the glass softly. "Why did I have to turn human, damn it?"

He closed his eyes, wishing he had his claws back. "Ow!" he looked down at his tightly clenched fist, which was currently bleeding. He opened his hand, and noticed he had his claws back. "Alright! Now we're getting somewhere." He cut through the glass with agile strikes, and then walked into the store. Upon the breaking of the glass he heard an alarm sound. He grabbed the whole mannequin and made a run for the Higurashi shrine.

Returning to the storehouse that had housed the Bone-Eater's Well, he changed into his new clothes and tucked his raiment into one of the nearby boxes stacked up on the shelves lining the walls. He sat down, leaning against the well. Unable to overcome the sudden drowsiness that hit him, he closed his eyes just as the sun peaked over the horizon.


End file.
